11 Candida Symptoms & How to Eliminate Them

Candida overgrowth is such a difficult condition to diagnose because it tends to affect each sufferer in a different way. Candida symptoms can occur on different parts of their body, in ways that may be unique to that particular person.

For this and other reasons, Candida and other forms of gut dysbiosis are often misdiagnosed.

If you have a doctor who is unaware of the importance of gut health, he or she may treat the symptoms rather than the cause.

Fatigue might be written off as depression, and digestive problems might be blamed on IBS. The underlying cause, an imbalance in the gut flora, might not be recognized or treated.

Just like other syndromes and chronic conditions, the symptoms of Candida can flare up in different places. There are tests for Candida overgrowth but in many cases, patients do much of the diagnostic work themselves.

The consensus is that many more people are suffering from Candida overgrowth than those few who are diagnosed correctly. You may find yourself suffering from any or all of these symptoms if you have Candida. All of them can be linked to an imbalance in the gut flora.

Here are 11 of the most common Candida symptoms that you may be experiencing. You may have just a handful of these, or you might recognize most of the list. Let’s start by taking a look at these symptoms in more detail. Then we’ll list 37 less common Candida symptoms that you might be experiencing. And finally, we’ll discuss how to treat those Candida symptoms!

1. Chronic Fatigue

Do you feel like you’re tired all the time? A gut imbalance like Candida overgrowth could be to blame. A pathogen such as Candida albicans can affect your energy levels in several different ways.

When an external factor like antibiotics disturbs the balance in your gut flora, one of the most immediate effects is on the way that you absorb nutrients. Your gut is the place where much of the digestive ‘heavy lifting’ takes place. It’s here that nutrients are broken down, processed, and absorbed.

If Candida (or another pathogen) has expanded its colonies to the point where it affects this balance, your nutrient absorption can suffer.

Foods can pass through your gut without being properly broken down, and you lose the opportunity to absorb the nutrients they contain. Over time, this can lead to fatigue as your body simply doesn’t get the fuel that it needs.

In fact, researchers have noted that Candida overgrowth is associated with deficiencies in important nutrients like essential fatty acids, magnesium, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin B6. Low levels in any of these nutrients, especially magnesium, can lead to fatigue (1, 2).

In the meantime, these Candida cells are not sitting idle. Their metabolic processes produce a wide variety of chemicals, many of which are toxic to us. These include a neurotoxin named acetaldehyde, which is coincidentally the same chemical that causes hangovers (3).

In a healthy individual, the small amounts of acetaldehyde produced by Candida are easily processed by the liver. In a person with a Candida overgrowth, this is not necessarily the case. The liver becomes overworked as it struggles to process larger amounts of acetaldehyde.

This build-up of acetaldehyde, ethanol, and other toxins can slow down various processes in your body. And don’t forget that the liver is responsible for energy storage too.

In extreme cases, a yeast overgrowth in the gut can lead to a condition named Auto-Brewery Syndrome, or gut fermentation syndrome. In fact, a New York woman was arrested for drunk driving, only to have her conviction overturned for this very reason (4).

This leads us on to the last reason why Candida can lead to fatigue. Things like an overworked liver, a weakened immune system, and chronic fatigue can put pressure on other organs. Burnout and adrenal fatigue are often seen at the same time as Candida.

The reason is that many of your body’s resources are being diverted to process Candida toxins, fight the Candida overgrowth, and maintain your energy levels.

Over time, this can deplete the hormonal precursors that are needed to produce crucial hormones like pregnenolone, cortisol, and DHEA. As your levels of these hormones drop, it can start to affect your energy levels, your libido, and much more.

2. Brain Fog

We’ve already touched on the reason why a Candida overgrowth can lead to symptoms like brain fog, confusion, difficulties with memory, and poor concentration. A chemical named acetaldehyde, one of the toxic metabolites produced by Candida albicans, is to blame (5).

Acetaldehyde is one of many chemicals produced by Candida (by one count, there are at least 79). Others include ammonia and uric acid. But it’s acetaldehyde that is likely to have the greatest effect on your wellbeing.

If your head is permanently ‘foggy’, you struggle to stay focused, and you are more forgetful than you used to be, acetaldehyde could be the culprit (6).

During a Candida overgrowth, there may be too much acetaldehyde in your bloodstream for your liver to process efficiently. This allows it to circulate to your nervous system and brain.

There are several ways in which acetaldehyde can affect your mental focus:

Red blood cells that combine with acetaldehyde can carry less oxygen to the brain and travel more slowly through blood vessels (7).

Acetaldehyde can cause a deficiency in vitamin B1, which is crucial for good brain health (8).

Acetaldehyde can damage nerve cells in a similar way to chronic alcoholism or Alzheimer’s (9).

3. Digestive Issues

This Candida symptom takes us right to the heart of Candida Related Complex. It is, after all, a gut-related condition. The changes in your digestive tract are what ultimately leads to all of the other symptoms on this list.

Whatever caused your Candida, whether it was a course of antibiotics or a sustained high-sugar diet, during a Candida overgrowth your gut flora will become imbalanced. As well as weakening your immunity, this can really affect the way that your body digests food.

Those ‘good bacteria’ that normally reside in your gut are a crucial part of your digestive system, responsible for the processing of starches, fibers, and some sugars.

When a healthy gut microbiome is overwhelmed by an opportunistic pathogen like Candida albicans, the small and large intestine can start to function suboptimally. This can mean symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating, cramps, and nausea.

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In the past few years, researchers have drawn links between Candida overgrowth and other diseases of the gut. These include Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, gastric ulcers, and duodenal ulcers (10).

4. Recurring Yeast Infections

Next up is perhaps the most obvious sign of a Candida overgrowth.

Recurring vaginal yeast infections are a clear sign that something deeper is wrong. If they keep coming back, it’s likely that some kind of gut imbalance is to blame.

More than 75% of women will get a vaginal yeast infection during their lives. And almost 40% will have two or more yeast infections (11). Symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection will vary from person to person, but they can include itching, pain during intercourse, swelling, and white discharge.

Did you know that urinary tract infections (UTIs) can also be caused by Candida albicans? It typically happens in the very young, very old, or those who are immuno-compromised (12).

If you are under great stress, or your immunity has been weakened for some other reason, your UTI might have been caused by Candida. Symptoms of a UTI include dark urine, pain in the lower abdomen, pain when you urinate, and feeling like you need to urinate when you really don’t.

Male yeast infections might be less common, but they certainly happen. Symptoms of a penile yeast infection can include a thick, smelly discharge from the foreskin, pain in pulling back the foreskin, an itchy rash around the genital area, redness, and pain when urinating or during sex.

There’s a characteristic of yeast infections that is very important to note. Even if you clear up the localized yeast infection, Candida albicans has the ability to grow and spread to different areas around your body.

So even though your vaginal infection might have disappeared, the same area may continue to be reinfected until you eliminate your intestinal Candida overgrowth.

5. Oral Thrush

The mouth is another part of the digestive tract that is particularly vulnerable to Candidiasis. Oral thrush is incredibly common, and in its mild form is frequently undiagnosed until it becomes quite bad. An intestinal Candida infection often occurs at the same time as oral thrush.

The same environmental changes that cause an intestinal overgrowth can also lead to an oral Candida infection. If you take antibiotics or eat a high-sugar diet, they will change the environment in both your gut and your mouth, making both locations more appealing for the Candida fungus.

How do you know if you have the symptoms of oral thrush? You’ll notice white bumps or lesions on your tongue, throat or elsewhere in your mouth (13).

You may also experience redness inside your mouth or on your gums. When touched or scraped, some of these lesions and inflamed areas may be painful or even bleed. Sometimes the infection can spread down into the esophagus, where it can make swallowing painful and difficult.

In a milder form or oral thrush, you might see only a thin, white covering on your tongue. This covering can be removed with a tongue scraper, but soon returns.

Oral thrush can happen to anyone, especially if they follow the wrong diet, but it is most common among the elderly, newborn children, and anyone with a compromised immune system (15). Dentures are a possible cause, along with poor oral hygiene (16).

In fact, a Mayo Clinic study looked at 210 patients with chronic sinusitis and found fungal infections in 96% of them (17).

It seems pretty clear that sinus infections might be a Candida symptom, but here’s the big problem. The most common treatment for chronic sinus infections is antibiotics. And antibiotics are pretty much useless for a fungal infection.

If you suffer from chronic sinus infections, improving your diet and rebalancing your gut bacteria may be a far better solution than antibiotics. Speak to your doctor about other options.

7. Food Sensitivities

This is a good time to mention intestinal permeability, or what we know as Leaky Gut Syndrome. This condition is caused when the fungal Candida grows long branches (hyphae) that penetrate the walls of your intestines.

If left unchecked, this results in a highly permeable intestinal membrane which allows food particles and metabolites to escape the intestinal lumen and enter the bloodstream behind the wall.

These particles and bacteria are then identified as foreign substances by your immune system. In the case of bacteria, they may be quickly neutralized. However, your immune system’s reaction to escaped food particles can potentially lead to food sensitivities (18).

As these foods enter the bloodstream, an area where they really don’t belong, your body begins to treat them as threats to your health. When you eat those foods again, your immune system might react to them.

8. Fungal Infections On The Skin And Nails

Just as there are microorganisms inside your gut, there are bacteria on your skin that protect you and prevent pathogens like Candida albicans from spreading in an uncontrolled way. These protective microorganisms are often known as the skin flora or skin microbiota.

The same conditions that lead to an intestinal overgrowth (a high-sugar diet, weakened immune system, etc) can also change the environment on your skin and allow Candida to overwhelm the local flora.

This can result in Candida symptoms like fungal fingernail infections, toenail infections, skin rashes, and athlete’s foot. Warm, moist areas like the armpits and groin are particularly vulnerable.

Topical creams can help with these superficial yeast infections (19). Natural antifungals can also help, with coconut oil being a good, mild example.

As with oral thrush, changing the environmental conditions is the key to eliminating superficial fungal infections in the long run. The same therapies that can reverse an intestinal Candida overgrowth (i.e. probiotics, antifungals, and a low sugar diet) can also help to eliminate fungal skin infections for good.

9. A Weak Immune System

When it comes to a Candida albicans infection, your immune system can play the role of both cause and effect. A weakened immune system is typically what allows an intestinal Candida overgrowth to happen in the first place. But Candida can also play a role in weakening your immune system, all by itself. Here are three ways this happens:

An imbalanced gut flora Your intestines are one of the most significant parts of your immune system. Researchers have found that the bacteria and yeast in your gut ‘prime’ your immune system and keep it ready to fight off pathogens like Candida (20). Without the correct balance of microorganisms in your gut flora, your immune system can be significantly weakened.

Leaky Gut SyndromeThis Candida-related condition, often known as intestinal permeability, provokes inflammation and a strong immune response. The inflammation and food sensitivities that it causes put pressure on your overloaded immune system (21).

Adrenal Fatigue / HPA Axis dysfunction Lastly, Candida can overwork the adrenal glands and disrupt the HPA axis. These important organs (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenals) play a role in regulating your immune system, among other things (22). Health problems like chronic fatigue and nutrient malabsorption can lead to hormonal imbalances that weaken and disrupt the HPA axis. A lengthy Candida infection can affect levels of hormones and neurotransmitters like cortisol that regulate the immune system.

Does any of this sound like your experience? If you find that you are regularly suffering from colds and flu, and you don’t know why, a gut imbalance like Candida might be the cause.

10. Joint Pain

We’ve already discussed acetaldehyde, but this is far from the only Candida metabolite that can cause unpleasant symptoms. Uric acid is another toxic byproduct of Candida albicans, and it can lead to joint pain in various parts of the body.

If it builds up to sufficient levels, uric acid can lead to gout, a form of arthritis associated with pain, stiffness, and swelling in your joints (23).

These attacks can happen relatively suddenly and can occur repeatedly until the underlying problem is addressed. Longer term, high levels of uric acid can do damage to your tendons and joints.

There is also a particular kind of arthritis that is more directly linked to Candida. If a Candida infection is left untreated for too long, there is a chance that it may enter the bloodstream and appear in joints like the knees and hips. This is known as Candida arthritis (24).

11. Low Mood

So far, we’ve discussed a wide range of symptoms that include tiredness, joint pain, brain fog, and more. If you are experiencing a few of these different symptoms, it could be affecting your mood. But there is also a more direct link between Candida and depression.

An intestinal Candida overgrowth can suppress production of serotonin, one of the neurotransmitters that boost your mood. Most serotonin is produced in the gut, so a major gut problem is likely to throw this production out of balance (25).

Dopamine is another neurotransmitter that affects your mood, and low dopamine levels are strongly associated with depression. Candida has a role to play here too, as one of its metabolites (acetaldehyde) binds with dopamine. This, incidentally, is also one of the reasons why alcoholics tend towards depression (26).

Lastly, an overworked liver can reduce your ability to store and use vitamin B12. This important vitamin helps your brain and nervous system to function properly, and low levels have been linked to depression and mental illness.

37 More Candida Symptoms

The symptoms listed above might be the most common signs of a Candida problem, but they are far from the only ones. A chronic gut imbalance can affect your hormone and neurotransmitter levels, your immune system, your liver, and much more.

The signs of Candida Related Complex can also include any of the symptoms listed below. If you recognize a few of these, along with some of the more common symptoms listed above, it might be time to evaluate whether poor gut health might be causing your health issues. If you have a wide selection of seemingly-unrelated symptoms, Candida albicans might be to blame.

How To Treat Your Candida Symptoms

Your Candida treatment will largely depend on what symptoms you are experiencing. Remember, though, that these symptoms are often related to an underlying intestinal Candida infection. You can treat the symptoms of Candida, but they will keep coming back until you rebalance your gut.

Any treatment of Candida symptoms should be combined with a full Candida protocol, including changes to your diet, to fix the problems in your gut.

Let’s start by taking a look at some natural ways to treat localized infections, then we’ll detail the steps that you can take to support good gut health.

Treating vaginal Candida infections

Here are some natural treatments that you can use to treat vaginal yeast infections. If you suffer from recurring yeast infections, remember that fixing your gut health is a good way to prevent them.

Antifungal baths Run a hot bath and add a few drops of tea tree oil or oregano oil. Start with a small amount (oregano oil, in particular, is very potent) and gradually increase it over the course of a few days.

Yogurt Plain probiotic yogurt is full of beneficial bacteria like strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. You can apply the yogurt externally, just like you would a cream from the pharmacy. Some people soak a tampon in the yogurt and leave it overnight.

Coconut oil You can apply coconut oil externally just like any cream. Depending on the room temperature in your house, your coconut oil may start off either solid or liquid. If it’s solid, you can simply warm it in your hands for a few seconds before applying. Just like yogurt, coconut oil can also be applied internally by using a tampon.

Garlic Some sources recommend using whole garlic cloves to treat vaginal yeast infections (33). If you choose to try this, carefully peel a garlic clove, clean it thoroughly, coat it with coconut oil and insert it in the frontal cavity of the vagina. Do this before you go to bed, then it will dissolve during your sleep and you can remove any remnants in your morning shower.

Boric acid Boric acid is available from pharmacies in powder form and can be packed into empty gelatin capsules for use as suppositories.

Tea Tree Oil Research has shown that tea tree oil is able to impair Candida’s ability to adhere to human cell surfaces (27). Use it topically, and be careful as it is very strong.

Treating male yeast infections

The natural treatments here are similar to those used for vaginal Candida, although adapted for male yeast infections.

Antifungal baths Run a hot bath and add a few drops of tea tree oil or oregano oil. Start with a small amount (oregano oil, in particular, is very potent) and gradually increase it over the course of a few days.

Yogurt Rub some plain yogurt on the affected area. Make sure that you buy plain yogurt that contains active cultures.

Coconut oil Rub some coconut oil on the affected area. Extra virgin or virgin coconut oil is best. It contains three natural antifungals, including caprylic acid, and is an effective antifungal (28).

Apple cider vinegar Purchase some cotton swabs and swab the affected area with apple cider vinegar.

Treating topical Candida infections

Here are some natural treatments that you can use to treat fungal infections on your skin and nails.

Topical treatments Treatments like tea tree oil, oregano oil, or even minced garlic can be very effective when applied topically. For fungal infections, paint tea tree oil or oregano oil on your nails twice a day for 2 months, or until the fungal infection disappears. Fungal nail infections are very difficult to eliminate and may take a few months.

Other strategies Keep your feet and hands clean and dry, especially the areas around your nails and between your toes. Change your socks every day, and take them off and walk barefoot when you can. The more airflow your feet get, the faster the infection will go!

Treating Oral Thrush

The best natural treatment for oral thrush is coconut oil. It contains three different antifungal compounds, including caprylic acid and lauric acid.

Simply put some coconut oil in your mouth, swish it around for a few minutes, then spit it out (29). Do this twice a day for 2 weeks or until your oral thrush is gone.

Note that coconut oil can be a solid or a liquid, depending on the temperature. If it’s winter or you live in a cold climate, you may find that it’s completely solid. Don’t worry! Just place it in your mouth and it will rapidly dissolve into a liquid.

Treating fungal sinusitis

Sinus Rinse Rinsing your sinuses with a ‘Neti pot’ is a great way to remove fungi and bacteria from your nasal cavity and fight the excess mucus associated with a sinus infection. Tilt your head to the side, pour the saline water into one nostril, and allow it to drain out of the other. It’s easier than it sounds and it can give incredibly fast, lasting sinus pressure relief.

Essential oils Peppermint and rosemary essential oils are frequently used to combat nasal and sinus discomfort (30). The best way to get these into your sinuses is to steam them. Add a few drops into a glass bowl and then fill it with boiling water. Cover your head with a large towel, lean over the bowl, and breath naturally.

Restoring balance to your gut microbiome

If you want long-lasting relief from your Candida symptoms, you need to address what’s going on in your gut. The best way to do that is by addressing it in multiple ways. Here are the three elements that you need to include as you treat your Candida and restore your gut health.

Diet Diet is the most common cause of an intestinal Candida infection. A high-sugar diet, full of inflammatory, low-nutrient foods, is exactly what Candida albicans needs to thrive (31). By adopting a low-sugar, anti-inflammatory diet, you can reduce inflammation in your gut and deprive the Candida of what it needs to survive. Take a look at our list of foods to eat for some ideas.

Probiotics Probiotics help to maintain acidity in the gut and crowd out the Candida yeast by competing with it for resources. Research has also shown that ‘good bacteria’ in the gut will help to boost your immunity (32). These are all important factors in fighting a Candida overgrowth. You can try probiotic supplements or probiotic foods.

Antifungals Natural antifungals help to break down the biofilms that Candida uses to protect itself. When used in combination with probiotics and a low-sugar diet, they work alongside your immune system to restrict and reverse the growth of Candida albicans. Good examples are caprylic acid and oregano oil.

The Bottom Line

There are lots of Candida symptoms and they can appear in many different parts of the body. Infections in various areas such as the gut, genitals, and skin may all be linked.

Treating individual symptoms can be effective in the short-term, but for long-term relief, you may need to change your diet. The Candida diet is a low-sugar, anti-inflammatory diet that could help when combined with probiotics and natural antifungals.

For lots more information on the symptoms of Candida, take a look at our Ultimate Candida Diet treatment plan. It contains a detailed five-step plan to rebalance your gut flora, beat Candida, and get your health back.

Beat your candida in 60 days with this detailed 5-step program

If you're looking for a more comprehensive Candida treatment plan, check out the Ultimate Candida Diet program, written by Lisa Richards and Dr Eric Wood. This plan is based on the latest research into Candida Related Complex, and contains everything you need to know to beat your Candida overgrowth.

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These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Information is presented for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your healthcare professional. Consult your doctor or health professional before starting a treatment or making any changes to your diet. Also note that this page may contain affiliate links.